Stop asking your friends on Facebook for design advice.

Raise your hand if you’ve done this?

It’s really interesting, at least from our perspective. You have a question, and go into group think mode. It’s easy. It’s free. So why not? It’s just like that deep dive on Pinterest. Yep, just hop on and get all of your design advice…for free.

But you know what?

We’ve read their answers…and they aren’t always good. Nor do they take into consideration the billion other things that need to be considered. Like adjacent rooms. Or budget. Or how YOU live. And you know what? Everyone has an opinion…and they’ll be in conflict…or you’ll get everyone supporting the same opinion. From our perspective? It’s a mess.

I guess the real question is, why aren’t you asking a professional? Hiring a designer/decorator?

That’s the reason WHY we created our design consult. To answer some of these design questions:

Should we put a beverage or wine fridge in our kitchen?

What tile should we use in our bathroom?

I’m scared of marble. Are there are any other marble like counters?

I really like farmhouse style…can you suggest how to make it work in my house?

I am scared to try wallpaper…can you help me select one to put somewhere in my home?

What color should I paint this room?

We have a weird room in our house that isn’t being used…what would you do?

Open concept or closed?

The fireplace. I want it to be a focal point, how can we do that?

What are you thoughts on a four poster bed?

Where would you go to buy _________________.

And the list goes on and on. Seriously.

We see this all of the time. Sometimes we will play, and other times? It’s fun to just see what people suggest. Sometimes they’re good…and sometimes they’re not. But what’s the real point? Quit asking for facebook advice.

Why? We are constantly learning. Constantly watching. Constantly seeing what’s new and next. Always looking to creating a beautiful space that is timeless, and yet modern. Which is not exactly what’s currently being coveted by everyone else.

Let’s talk about color for a minute. We have seen so many suggestions for shades of gray. You want to know a secret? Grays are soooo hard. They are also really “cold” colors and don’t always work. Unless you are planning on buying mostly new furniture, changing many of the finishes in your home, it probably won’t look as good as the Pinterest pic suggested by a well meaning friend.

PLUS…

if you’ve picked up any of the recent design magazines, you will see that we are now trending for a richer and more colorful environment, filled with brown wood furniture…not pallets or reclaimed. Traditional lines, with a fresh and modern fabric on it. No more gray…but bold blues and greens. Wallpaper. Life!

We are constantly looking at impeccable interiors online, and in real life, which is another reason why we bring a different and fresher perspective to your home an our facebook suggestions. We also urge you to think outside of the mass produced box too. Reupholster something you already have, go to thrift shop, fall in love with something and fix it up. Wayfair and Amazon can’t answer every problem (although, they come pretty close). We are also always learning about the newest technologies to help with a kitchen renovation, or exterior upgrade. Trust us, we’re professionals.

And if you are scared that it’ll cost you an arm and a leg, don’t fear. Many interior designers (like us) have created a service that can answer these questions and guide you to a solution for a lower fee. It is actually the best of all worlds: YOU can feel in charge of the project, but also get professional help when you need.

Look, we get it. It’s your home. You live there. And you think you should be able to do it yourself. But hey, we don’t diagnose our own problems…we go to the doctor. Or we brush our teeth, but we don’t believe ourselves to be dentists. Leave the hard questions to the pros. Because if we don’t know the right answer, we know who to ask.